Another 257 Nigerian return home from Libya

Several Africans have mounted pressure on the AU since a CNN documentary emerged about the slave trade in Libya, with the Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA) being the latest group to urge the continental body to act swiftly and bring an end to atrocities being meted out to African nationals on the African soil.

Among them are 65 adult females, 179 adult males, seven children and six infants.

Joseph Alabi, confirmed that the returnees arrived aboard a Libyan Airlines aircraft at the Cargo Wing of the airport at 1.04 am.

They were received at the airport by the officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on behalf of the federal government.

He vowed to repatriate and rehabilitate all Nigerians stranded in Libya, and reduce the numbers heading for Europe illegally via north Africa.

The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement signed by the spokesperson, Tiwatope Elias-Fatiile, on Tuesday, said the country's embassy in Libya had been visiting detention camps to identify Nigerians for registration.

After being stranded in Libya on a failed attempt to reach Europe, more than 400 Nigerian migrants were brought home and began sharing stories of abuse and fear.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the officials of other government agencies were also on ground to receive the returnees.

The repatriation of the stranded Nigerians, which started in 2016, is in collaboration with IOM which has been providing the chartered aircraft to convey the returnees.

One of the many migrants who recently returned to the country has narrated what he passed through in Libya while seeking passage to Europe.

As of the time of filing this report, another flight conveying other returnees is being expected from Tripoli, the Libyan capital.